NEW BRITAIN - Cracovia Restaurant is waiting for a hood for its massive new stove and the final OK from the city to open in its new location, said the Polish restaurant's general manager, Tony Sharra.

“We’re almost ready. The phone has been ringing off the hook with people asking,” Sharra said, laughing. “But we’ve got to get that new hood and they want an astronomical price, $14,000 to $16,000.”

The new restaurant at 994 West Main St, will seat 112 people, where the old place at 60 Broad St., seated only 70. Cracovia spent 30 years in Little Poland and is retaining its staff, while looking for three additional workers, Sharra said.

He added that he hopes the new location will be open by Jan. 21.

“We have a big party coming that day, so I hope we’re open,” Sharra said.

Sharra said the local and regional reaction to the move has been positive, according to his Facebook page.

“Everybody is excited we’ve moved,” Sharra said, adding that the new address is just two miles from the old Broad Street location. “People don’t have to worry about parking, cars getting broken into. It’s a much safer neighborhood.”

The main reason Sharra said he decided to move was that the rent on Broad Street was continuing to rise.

“We were pretty depressed to leave at first, but now we have a five-year lease, with a five-year option to renew,” Sharra said. “We’ll be here at least another 10 years and it’s more room and a bigger space, so people won’t have to wait.”

Cracovia was the original Polish restaurant in the Little Poland community, and still makes all of its menu items from scratch, Sharra said.